44 



ESiOCID.E. 



In August 1837, Dr. Clarke of Ipswich favoured me with 

 a letter, of which the following is an extract : — " My brother, 

 Mr. Edward Clarke of Ipswich, who is particularly interested 

 in the study of British fishes, was examining the sea-shore in 

 the vicinity of Fclixtow, a village in Suffolk, between Har- 

 wich and Orford, a few days ago, August T'th 1837, when he 

 observed a shoal consisting of myriads of small fish, which, 

 upon a nearer examination, he supposed to be the young of 

 the Garfish. As he had previously not found any so small, 

 he secured a few specimens ; and, upon bringing them home 

 and examining them, they were found not to be the young 

 of the Garfish, but those of a species of Hemiramphus. 

 From their being so very young, it probably may be difficult 

 to determine whether they belong to a described species ; 

 but from the circumstance of their haviuQ- been seen in ffreat 

 abundance in a small pool left by the retiring tide, it is, I 

 think, pretty evident that the ova must have been deposited 

 and vivified in the neighbourhood of our shores. I send you 

 the fish, thinking that an examination of the specimens them- 

 selves will be far more satisfactory than any figures or descrip- 

 tion of my own. One specimen was taken about double the 

 size of those now sent to you." 



The representation of this fish is half as large again as the 

 natural size. It can scarcely be doubted from the quantity 

 of fry seen, as well as from their very small size, that the 

 spawn from which they were produced must have been 

 deposited on our shores by the parent fish ; and yet, as far 

 as Ave are aware, these parent fish have hitherto escaped 

 capture. This might not appear very extraordinary ; but 

 from the circumstance that the size attained by the fry in 

 the months of July and August, as well as the general simi- 

 larity in the form and appearance of the Heviiramphus to 

 our well-known Garfish and Saury-pike, would lead to the be- 

 lief that the Hemiramphus visited our shores about the same 



